Senate Healthcare Bill Expected to Leave the Shadows Tomorrow

After weeks of being kept hidden, Senate Republicans are expected to release the draft of their version of the healthcare bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act on Thursday. A score from the Congressional Budget Office is expected next week, with a final vote likely before the end of June.

The Senate’s process for creating their bill has been heavily criticized for the secrecy Republicans surrounded the bill. Democrats and even some Republican lawmakers have not even seen the bill. Just 13 Senators, the so-called “working group,” are writing the bill

“Republicans are writing their health-care bill under the cover of darkness because they are ashamed of it,” alleged Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

This secrecy has not stopped some information from coming out, however. Rumors have come forward that Medicaid expansion from the ACA could be rolled back over the course of seven years, but Sen. John Thune of South Dakota said this period could just three years.

Some Republicans have begun to distance themselves from the bill. Sen. Ted Cruz, a member of the working group, said the bill does not do enough to lower premiums. “If it is going to pass, the bill is going to have to make meaningful steps to reduce premiums,” he said.

He also noted that the bill has “got a long way to go.”

After the release of the bill, the CBO is expected to release their score next week. The last CBO score on the House version of the bill predicted 23 million Americans would lose their coverage but would reduce the federal deficit by $119 billion over 10 years.

President Trump seems to expect an improvement over the House version, calling the bill “mean” according to congressional sources.